Life
by MorganEnjoysFanfiction
Summary: Aang knew life. He considered himself alive in most of the ways that counted, except one.
1. Life

**A/N: I have not published anything on this site in 3 years! Now, I return to the scene with an Avatar fanfic. I do not own Avatar.**

**Kataang. My retelling of the end of Sozin's Comet.  
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Aang knew life.

He knew how the mangoes grew from tiny seeds into great, bountiful trees.

He watched rivulets become streams become lakes, and empty into rivers empty into oceans.

He knew how baby bison grew to be big and strong and proud, like Appa. He knew where they came from, and what happened when they could no longer fly.

He knew how a child came into the world, kicking and screaming.

He had unlocked his chakras and felt the freeing force of chi flow through his core; he had felt the release of fear, grief and shame.

Inside him, the elements taught him more of life's wonders: air taught him creativity and flexibility, water taught him grace and of energy's flow, earth rigidity and substance, and fire, drive and intensity.

Aang considered himself alive in most of the ways that counted, except one.

Katara was confused, and without her, he was not alive. She, for whom he had fought Fire Lord Ozai, looked at him and blushed. She, the first face he had seen in a hundred years of icy imprisonment, had let him kiss her. She took care of him, and missed him when he left. But she was confused.

Aang attended the mandatory meetings. He listened attentively, or at least, pretended to, while entertaining Momo with balls of air and string beads at his feet. He showed his face in every corner of the Fire Nation, spreading hope and detaining rebels with Zuko, before heading to Ba Sing Se. But Katara spent her time healing the wounded and the ill, and he had not seen her since Zuko's coronation. And she was still confused. And that hurt him more than anything Ozai had done to him, because he loved her more than the whole wide world.


	2. Love

**Second chapter. R&R, please.**

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In Ba Sing Se, they celebrated the grand re-opening of the Jasmine Dragon. Their arrival had been as secret as they could make it on a giant flying bison. Zuko humbly served tea while Sokka poorly attempted to capture the moment; his artistic abilities, unlike his sword skills, had not improved. Aang stepped out onto the balcony for a bit of fresh air, shaking his head. He felt so many things.

There was the relieved part: Ozai was imprisoned, there were fewer rebellions than expected, he was relaxing with his family, and the nations were taking care of themselves.

There was the goofy kid in him that just wanted to play streetball with the earthbender children a block away.

There was the pleading young man in him, so afraid of heartbreak. He did not want confusion anymore. He wanted love.

The sunset was beautiful. He could not help but smile at it. His smile faded slightly when the softest of breezes carried a fresh, warm scent to him - Katara's. She leaned over the railing and did not speak for several minutes.

"Aang?" When she finally did.

"Yes?" He answered back, softly. The sounds from the tea shop seemed miles away. He turned towards bright blue eyes.

She turned away, looking to the ground. "Do you love me?"

He was an honest person. "I kissed you at the invasion because… I thought… if I didn't make it back, then at least you'd know how I felt about you. And I would have gone to fight Ozai knowing you knew that, and…." He stopped and looked down as well. A deep silence fell between them, with intermittent birds chirping in the distance.

Aang looked at the sunset, his eyes misty. Katara teared as he whispered harshly, "I love you. I kissed you because I've wanted to since I made you that necklace out of fishing line."

He took a step backwards, turned and bowed to his waterbending master. "I apologize for confusing you. To make you happy is all I want."

He walked away. She was confused. He was confused, and so very much in love.


	3. Peace

**Third and final chapter. Critiques and reviews appreciated!**

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He had feigned sleep while the rest of his family wandered inside. Eventually, it was quiet, and he felt free to wander himself.

Confusion did not suit him. He wanted peace. He wanted Katara. But she had not stopped him from leaving the Jasmine Dragon. She watched him go, and when he looked back, her face was ashen and streaked with many tears. He ached knowing he hurt her; his gentle spirit, as his past life Yangchen had put it, did not stand for it. But if he was to go to her again, he must seek peace.

There was a pool of water behind the house the Earth King had given them in the Upper Ring. Aang stepped amongst the cool rocks and mud and felt at home. Air was not his only element anymore.

He slowly bent the water, creating tiny, rippling waves – the first form Katara had ever shown him, he thought with a pang. But he continued, swirling the water effortlessly. It was meditative and thoughtful, so much so that he did not know Katara was behind him until she was.

She took hold of the water, and together, they pushed and pulled the tide like the Moon Spirit herself, two great waterbenders, harmonious with their element. Then, Katara stopped, letting the water fall into place.

"I'm sorry, Aang," she said quietly, her blue night dress swirling in the wind. "This isn't how I imagined it would be."

He looked her in the eye then. "How did you imagine it?"

She moved closer, her palms outstretched. "I want to be with you, Aang! It seemed so simple to me! We save the world, and then, we could be together. But of course, nothing is ever simple, is it? You might have died fighting Ozai, and where would I have been if I had told you the truth? I couldn't put myself out there again. And what you said today… I didn't know you were so willing to risk it all. I didn't know what exactly you fought for when you fought Ozai."

While Katara spoke, the water in the pool crashed and raged, but Aang did not move. Katara felt for him. He might just be tempted to air scooter all the way to the Southern Water Tribe and back.

He took another step forward, putting him less than a foot away from the waterbender. Tentatively, he touched her cool hand, and asked, "What's the truth then?"

Her head bowed, she said, "The truth is, I've liked you since I met you. I knew I loved you the moment Azula struck you down. You are the most caring, sweetest, honorable man any girl could know, and I am honored to know you, and that you could even think to care for me the way you do."

Aang made a tiny step closer, so his face was next to hers. Their breath mingled sweetly.

He whispered softly, "I want to make you happy. I want to make you proud. I don't want this… this sadness, this confusion. It feels wrong, because we both know the truth."

Katara pulled him into a tight embrace, her hot tears running down her cheeks and onto his face. Aang tangled his hands into her hair and murmured, "It's ok… it's ok…" many times.

She pulled back and leaned her forehead against his. Aang blushed slightly and kissed her cheek, a bold move in his book. But Katara would have none of that. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and gently pressed her lips against his; the satiny smoothness and fresh taste made Aang feel weak at the knees. He kissed back, encircling her waist and holding her tightly.

When she moved away, he smiled his broadest, infectious smile, and pulled her close, making her laugh. He whispered, "I love you, Katara," and kissed her cheek.

She whispered into his, "I love you too, Aang." And with the softest of pecks to his cheeks, she whispered, "You make me the happiest girl in the world."

Life was good.


End file.
